


The Interview

by dreamofhorses



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Angst, Future Fic, M/M, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 07:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13922151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamofhorses/pseuds/dreamofhorses
Summary: A very angsty little piece I wrote before bed the night after the Oscars when the idea that all this was ending was particularly persistent. A glimpse of a future where Timmy and Armie have each taken their own paths.





	The Interview

“Timothee, it’s an honor to be interviewing you here on the morning after your third Oscar win. The first one came when you were only 25 years old. Did you ever think that you’d be sitting here again, 10 years later, talking about it again?”

_ “I honestly couldn’t have imagined. I’m just so appreciative, so many people have done so much to bring me here, and I wouldn’t be here without all of them and what they contributed.” _

“In this middle stage of your career, you’ve obviously been able to be more choosy about your projects due to all the success you had so early on. What have you been doing with the additional free time that has given you?”

_ “Well, when I’m not working I spend time with the kids, which has meant Xavier has been able to really focus on a couple of projects he’s been looking forward to making for years. He did the same for me a few years ago when my career was really taking off and I’m happy to reciprocate.” _

“Everyone knows that about 15 years ago, a sequel to the very well-received Call Me By Your Name was cancelled when your co-star Armie Hammer unexpectedly retired from acting. He never gave a definite reason but at the time the press speculated that his marriage would not have survived a return to the intimacy and closeness you two clearly shared. Has your relationship improved at all since then?”

_ “...Um...not really, I just, Armie meant so much to me, means so much to me, I would never go down a path that would hurt him, at least not without knowing, I guess that path was hurting him from the start but we didn’t know. I didn’t know. I didn’t know then that happiness could hurt. And I want what’s best for him, and he knows my number, he knows where to find me, it hasn’t changed but he’s changed and that’s fine. For a while we changed together, now we have to  change apart, it’s just the random luck of the universe.” _

“Did you keep in touch at all after his surprise announcement?”

_ “...I don’t...I don’t talk about this a lot but he did call me the day before he released his statement, it was really surprising because we’d been talking every day, we had just FaceTimed that morning and yet he sounded so different. Such a short conversation, it just--he wasn’t--it was maybe thirty seconds and he said--well, he didn’t sound like himself but maybe all that meant was I had never known him anyway. And that phone call was the last time we’ve spoken.” _

**“Excuse me, I’m Timothee’s publicist, it’s time for us to set up the room for the next interview. Thank you so much for your time and we’ll look forward to reviewing your draft before next week’s deadline! Yes, yes, thanks again!”**

The interviewer puts her recorder into its case, smooths her skirt, and opens the door of the hotel suite. Behind her, a lighting tech closes the blinds. Behind him, the light that falls over Timothee’s face recedes, clinging to his cheekbones, clinging like a whisper that says  _ I can’t _ . Timothee removes his phone from his pocket, checks it, sees things but not the things he wants to see, puts it away again. The movement is practiced. It might take a man ten years to make a single motion that smooth. He rakes his hands through his hair, one at a time, one side and then the other, and if you’ve got an active imagination you might think he’s used to two hands stroking his hair together, and he’s leaving room for the other one just in case, come back anytime, the door’s unlocked and the light’s on. It's been on for ten years.

The door of the suite closes behind the journalist, and the room goes dark.


End file.
